


The Ones Who Live

by YaoiDokiDoki



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - World War I, Angst with a Happy Ending, Battlefield, Denial of Feelings, Espionage, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Gay Sex, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Insanity, M/M, Major Character Injury, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Matter of Life and Death, Mutual Pining, Nakamaship, Post-World War I, Romantic Soulmates, Sabotage, Soldiers, Spies & Secret Agents, Undercover, Undercover Missions, Weapons, Young Love, i suck so bad at tags, some fluff too hehe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-05-30 18:05:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19408546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaoiDokiDoki/pseuds/YaoiDokiDoki
Summary: The country of Wielka Brytania, 1920s. A war is imminent, a war unlike anything the world had ever seen before.A journey of bravery and treachery, hope and despair, love and loss;Of learning to laugh through tears;Of a little band of boys, from a quaint boys school to the battlefield and beyond.For honour. For glory. For love.Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, place or thing, living or dead, is purely coincidental.





	1. Prologue: The Seaweed of Sargasso Sea

**1922.**

The sun had almost set, the last remaining rays lighting up the clouds and casting a brilliant orange glow over the entire landscape.  
A tall, slender man stood by the desolate beach, on the rickety pier overlooking the glistening sea. Long elegant fingers trembled as they reached for another cigarette, the ringing in his ears drowning out the dull sounds of the neighbourhood, of people reeling from the after-effects of war; slowly, lifelessly trying to piece their lives back together, bit by bit.

The same breeze that ruffled his golden hair, scattered some of the ash from the ash mound by the his feet. Somewhere, at the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware that he'd had one cigarette too many, but he smoked not for pleasure- he smoked to hold on to his sanity. And never in his life had he needed a cigarette more than he needed one now.

The ringing in his ears grew louder, as did the voice in his head.

_**"The Crocodile of Nile has swallowed the Seaweed of Sargasso Sea."** _

A sudden urge to throw up seized him, and he vomited all over the cigarette he'd been holding in his hand. His knees gave way, his stomach continued to twist and heave, churning out the contents of his frugal lunch. The sea tilted, world swam in front of his eyes, and he toppled back, gasping for breath. He sat there for some time, drawing his knees up to his chest, not conscious of where or even who he was.

And then the dam burst. The grief he'd desperately been trying to push back behind a wall of disbelief came flooding out and washed over him like a tsunami, wracking his thin body with shuddering sobs.  
"Not him... God... Please..."

No one paid any heed to him.

Because a war leaves you with more pressing needs to worry about than a devastated lover by the sea, crying in the memory of his beloved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ash mound-- Cigarette ash mound, caused because our hero smoked too many cigarettes. Mentioning it here so that it doesn't cause any confusion! ^,^ In case anything else isn't clear, please don't hesitate to ask me in the comments!


	2. (I)

**-1919-**

I.

The GoldRidge Academy for Boys was rudely jolted awake one sleepy afternoon, the cause being an explosion in the west wing of the ancient building. The alarm bells were ringing, evacuation was underway, half-asleep students were dragged out of their classes and dorms and marched off to the underground war bunkers right under the central building by their teachers and prefects. The corridors were teeming with people, and in the chaos and the cacophony, four boys slipped away unnoticed, _towards_ the west wing.

At the same time, a certain student was exiting the west wing via an underground corridor known only to him and the founders of the school. The bomb squad would be arriving any minute now, and he had to reach the back door of the main building quickly, before the roll call was taken. The thundering footsteps above him grew fainter and fainter as he raced down the dimly lit tunnel, the only light available streaming in from the widely spaced skylights on the moss-covered walls. As the end of the passage finally came into view, his highly strung nerves uncoiled a bit. Well well, he smiled a little to himself. That went off quite well, didn't it?

II.

Later that night, five boys sat on the floor, in the middle of their shared dorm room, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. The curly-haired gypsy boy coughed and raised his hand in a gesture of self-importance, and began to speak in a ridiculously grandiose and made-up voice. 'A-hem!'

Everyone stopped whispering and turned attentively towards him.

'Today is a momentous occasion for the Straw Hat Pirates. Our sworn brother , Roronoa Zoro, has successfully completed the Test Of Honour. I, Capta~in Usopp, hereby declare you, Roronoa Zoro, a man among men, true of your word, and a worthy pirate!'

All five of them raised their glasses of fruit beer, and solemnly swore, ' For our brothers, For One Piece! Long live Straw Hat Pirates!’

III.

The GoldRidge Academy for Boys was one of the oldest schools in all of Wielka Brytania. Hidden away in one of the interior-most pockets of the country, it was surrounded by forests and a river, and as such was effectively cut off from the rest of the world. The nearest human habitation was about 4 miles away, a little town with not more than 200 people. After that, nothing but trees and wild beasts and nature in all its Glory for miles and miles around.  
Young boys ranging from thirteen to eighteen years of age received training and knowledge from the best brains in the nation, if not the world, in both conventional and unconventional subjects. The school was attended by the beloved sons and heirs of royalty, heads of states, chiefs of armies and ambassadors, and also by brilliant minds from less privileged households.  


From grades one to five, the boys were taught a little about everything, to turn them into men from boys. Etiquette, financial knowledge and psychology took the center stage in their penultimate grade. In grade six, however, from men they turned into soldiers, by compulsory military training. After a basic course in strategy and machinery-handling, they chose the fields they wished to specialise in-- Frontline combat, close combat, espionage, mnemonics and decoding, infiltration, resource gathering, defence manufacturing, linguistics, medicine, navigation, mechanics, warfare strategy, and research. They also chose the branch of armed forces they wanted to enter-- army, navy or the air Force. After graduation, they'd be enlisted and would serve the country as soldiers. During times of peace, after three years of service, they could retire and we're then free to pursue their choice of profession.

But these were not times of peace. A war was hovering on the horizon, a war unlike anything the world had ever seen before. It had been simmering for quite some time now, and had been desperately pushed back by the people in power. But not anymore. World affairs had reached a breaking point. Anarchy was on the rise, attacks on civilians and assassinations of public figures had reached a feverish pitch, money and jewels had gone missing from major banks, people vanished into thin air, never to turn up again. No one knew who was the master puppeteer pulling the strings from behind the scenes. It was only a matter of time before the volcano erupted and smouldered everything in a blanket of lava.

Far from this dire situation was the tranquility of GoldRidge, but the role that the students of this school would go on to play in this all-encompassing war would be the stuff of legends in the years to come.

For the casualties of war are not just the people who die, but also the ones left behind to live.


	3. (II) Part 1

**1919**

The sunlight streamed in through the long windows, the thin curtains fluttering in the early morning breeze. Breakfast would be served in 10 minutes, but it didn't seem that the 'Strawhat' group would make it in time.

"I said wake up, damned pickle."

A slender blond boy of seventeen, angel-faced and devil-tempered, was gnashing his teeth against some hard candy, his veins standing out on his forehead. Snoring peacefully in front of him was his classmate, well-built and tanned, with a mop of dark, ruffled hair. Said boy, if he didn't get up and get ready within ten minutes, would be responsible for Sanji getting a scolding, yet he continued to snort in his sleep, blissfully unaware of the death glare being sent his way, thereby aggravating out little angel even further.

"Hmm shut up already, stupid eyebrows..." he turned over, away from Sanji, and...

Farted.

Vinsmoke Sanji had had **ENOUGH.**

"I-said-get-UP!”

Sanji punctuated each word with a kick to Zoro's abdomen. He spluttered and woke up after the very first kick, but Sanji continued to rain kicks on him out of spite, with the last kick being strong enough to send Zoro flying towards where Usopp was fixing his tie, and slamming both of them onto the dresser.

"My tie! My nose! My nose!" Usopp wailed, while Luffy choked on his laughter. Little Chopper, fifteen years of age, the youngest of them all, hurried towards them, but he got confused between plugging Usopp's bleeding nose and pulling Luffy's tongue out of his throat, so he did the only thing he could think of-- burst into tears.

"The entire lot of you, I swear to GOD!" Sanji rushed over to Usopp and grabbed his nose with one hand and thrust his other hand down Luffy's gullet. "Stay still!"

Amidst Sanji's yelling and Luffy's coughing and Usopp's yelping and Chopper's bawling, no one noticed Roronoa Zoro's eyes slowly open and fix themselves on Sanji. He rubbed the back of his head, where it had hit the dresser, and slowly got to his feet. 

Usopp was the first to detect his smouldering gaze. Promptly he stopped wailing and started sweating. Zoro's gaze wasn't directed at him, he knew; yet he couldn't stop himself from shuddering when he saw Zoro's golden eyes glinting and his jaws clamping. He'd have fainted then and there, had HE been at the receiving end of that gaze. Chopper, he knew, was too Innocent. Until and unless something was spelt out for him in clear-cut words, he couldn't understand gestures and signals. Luffy was _usually_ pretty instinctive, but right now he was too busy gasping for breath, so he could be excused _this_ time.  
But the one that simmering look was actually meant for, continued to shout away, gesturing and pointing everywhere **except** in Zoro's direction.

Usopp had a razor sharp survival instinct-- he could read most situations and people correctly. But he couldn't for the life of him understand why Sanji, otherwise so observant and quick-witted, was so damn _**slow**_ when it came to anything even remotely associated with Zoro. How, being as sensitive as he was, couldn't he _**ever**_ notice Zoro's glares, if you could call them that.

Zoro, Usopp had realised, basically had two types of expressions-- one, the usual scowl that remained plastered to his face ever waking minute of the day, and two, a frown that he kept reserved only for Sanji. It was less of a frown and more of a pout, like a petulant child who was annoyed that his favorite person wasn't paying attention to him, or like a sulking toddler who wanted only one specific toy but couldn't get his hands on it, craving for it desperately yet too proud to ask for it, just sitting still and doing nothing and expecting the toy to realise his feelings on its own and fall into his lap.  
Sanji was no toy, and that made Zoro's situation even more pathetic, because toys could be excused for ignoring the whims and wishes of their masters, but humans are humans after all. Masters of their own will.

Granted, that at a glance there wasn't much of a difference between the two scowls. Surely a random passerby wouldn't be able to make out the difference. But Usopp wasn't some random passerby. He was their **friend** , had been one for a very long time now. He wasn't as plucky or fearless as they were, but he was their **equal**. Of this, Usopp had not a single shred of doubt. 

So he knew, he _knew_ the contrast between the two expressions of Zoro. He also knew the Sanji was oblivious to either of the two. Or, maybe, that was just Sanji _acting_ oblivious. And he didn't like the second option, Usopp didnt. Because the Sanji he knew, wasn't a coward. After all, it took a coward to know one.

Which is why when he saw Zoro fix his special frown on Sanji for the umpteenth time, Usopp's heart dropped further. He'd stopped sweating by now, his almost comical fear of Zoro replaced by something else. Something resembling _pity_. 

Seeing a proud, proud man like Zoro wear his heart on his sleeve, offer it to Sanji and wait for him to notice his feelings, and then seeing Sanji stomp all over that heart with his polished shoes like a fool or a coward or both, made Usopp want to smack both of their heads together. Had he been half as reckless as them, he'd have already done so, but he wasn't in the mood to get his already injured nose completely shattered, so he slowly started backing out, towards his bed. He'd give Sanji a talking-to later. Zoro... He'd leave Zoro to figure it by himself, yes. He was sure Zoro would think of something. Something that didn't involved Usopp's nose. And how injured it already was. 

But Usopp needn't have slunk away. As soon as he started shuffling his feet, Zoro's voice cut through the crisp morning air blowing into the room.

"Thank you for tickling me awake, potato peeler."

Sanji stopped mid-shout and slowly turned his head. Luffy also stopped wheezing and Chopper was startled into silence. 

"What did you just say, neanderthal?" Sanji bristled. "I will-"

But what Sanji was about to do shall never be known, for at that moment the door flew open and in stride their prefect.

"I neither know nor care about what you'll be doing to whom, Vinsmoke Sanji, but I WILL drag the entire lot of you to detention if you don't line up outside IN FIVE MINUTES!" Ace yelled then slammed the door shut, and turned to face them with a goofy grin.  
"So which one of you did it, huh? Who was it?" He gushed, his eyes glowing.

As soon as he had turned around, the ambience of the room had livened up, their ongoing fight forgotten. For not only was Portgas D. Ace Luffy's sworn brother, he was also a very dear friend. Caring, bubbly, always bursting with excitement and, much like Luffy, the life of the place, wherever he went. Two of a kind, the brothers were.

"Ace!" Luffy flung himself at him with the abandon of a five-year-old. "It was Zoro! You won't believe how he did it! He even found a secret passage, but he won't tell us about it! So we'll find it ourselves! You'll come with us, right? To find the passage? Say you will, Ace! Say yes!"

"Later, Luffy," Ace laughed, gently disentangling his arms from Luffy's limbs. "I have to rush of to the hall, some important people have come."

"Important?” Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Like who?"

"Well I came here to tell you exactly that, but you didn't hear me say it," Ace zipped his lips, turned an imaginary key and mock-flung it behind him. Then he gestured the others to come closer and whispered conspiratively, "I heard it was Rear Admiral Marco."

A collective gasp went around.

"Not him!" Sanji eyes went wide.  
"Are you sure?" Usopp gulped.  
Zoro simply rolled his eyes. Luffy and Chopper looked on, confused.

"I simply _overheard_ , alright? I'll be sure once I get to the hall. I've also been told to instruct you to air out your formal shirts, which likely means you'll be called later too. Now then, I'll be off, and don't forget to practice the school anthem!"  
And with a sweeping bow he whirled and opened the door, leaving the five to chatter excitedly amongst themselves.

A tug on his sleeve made him stop and turn around. 

"You... Will be there, day after tomorrow?" Sanji addressed his shoes, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.

Ace blinked twice, then grinned. "Of course, darling! That very place!"  
"Ok then." Sanji let go of his sleeve and gave him a little, relieved smile. Ace winked and stepped out of the door, closing it behind him with a click. 

Sanji closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. Behind him the other four continued with their nonsense, and he realised he'd been holding his breath without being aware of it. He felt a little foolish, really, getting worked up about something like this, but what he and Ace were about to do seemed so... _risque_. Not to mention, outright **vulgar**. They wouldnt be the first ones to do something of this kind, surely? And he was the only first timer here. Ace already had _~experience~_. He'd lead the way, so all Sanji had to do was follow. He was in experienced hands. Nothing to worry about. But what if they were caught....?

He shook his head vigorously and mentally scolded himself. He wouldn't back out now. Straightening up, he went back to where the others were, in their own little world.

But unbeknownst to both Sanji and Ace, a certain someone hadn't joined the rest. He had been paying close attention to _them_. For quite some time now, in fact. And finally he had found the time they'd be meeting. He hadn't been close enough to listen to the rest of the details, but that didn't matter as long as he got the timing correct. Now he was much closer to finding out what exactly was the deal between Ace and Sanji, what had they been discussing about so furtively since the past one month. Jealously possessive like his Geisha mother and a lone wolf like his American father, he'd get to the bottom of the business, all by himself.


End file.
